Both Sides Of Me Are Evenly Odd

Kendrick Lamar “Untitled 06 (06.30.2014)”

I love the way Kendrick writes about being infatuated with women. He always seems so consumed by his fascination, like he wants to learn everything about them and take in every last detail, as if there was a way for him to crack the code of what makes them so beautiful and compelling. As smooth, clever, and laid back as Kendrick gets, he still sounds a bit flustered thinking of this woman, and he seems so eager to impress her. He’s putting her on a pedestal in some ways, but at the same time, this song is mainly a meditation on imperfection, and how closely someone’s strengths are connected to their flaws. The really sweet sentiment here isn’t so much the “you’re beautiful exactly as you are” thing, but more that he sees this woman as an equal, and is drawn to her because they both are a bit out of step with the rest of the world. It makes some sense of the intensity of his crush – he’s a guy who can have his pick of available women, but he’s only fixating on the one who’s attuned to the same odd frequency he’s on.

Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge’s track is gorgeous, and could stand on its own quite well as an instrumental with that lovely, lyrical flute part becoming the most expressive element of the arrangement. There’s a light, slick feeling to the track, and it suits the infatuated tone – in this context, Kendrick sounds flirty and cool, and the words flow like they’re carried on a cool breeze. Cee-Lo’s vocal is great too, rooting the track firmly in mid 20th century R&B without making it feel overly retro.

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